https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. A University of Michigan study has found that people in Ghana and across the Global South who recycle electronic waste face a difficult paradox: earning livelihoods to ensure survival comes at the cost of severe long-term exposure to toxicity and dramatic environmental pollution. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-recycling-ghana-exposes-workers-toxic.html Environment Thu, 04 Dec 2025 11:50:06 EST news684071221 Paracetamol (acetaminophen) production could be revolutionized by the discovery that a common bacterium can turn everyday plastic waste into the painkiller. The new method leaves virtually no carbon emissions and is more sustainable than the current production of the medicine, researchers say. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-upcycling-plastic-painkillers-microbes-everyday.html Biochemistry Mon, 23 Jun 2025 13:18:17 EDT news669903494 A Cornell-led research team has developed a method for extracting gold from electronics waste, then using the recovered precious metal as a catalyst for converting carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas, to organic materials. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-gold-pathway-co8322-sustainability.html Polymers Thu, 02 Jan 2025 12:09:03 EST news655042141 Plastic waste is a problem. Most plastics can't be recycled, and many use finite, polluting petrochemicals as the basic ingredients. But that's changing. In a study published in Nature Sustainability, researchers successfully engineered microbes to make biological alternatives for the starting ingredients in an infinitely recyclable plastic known as poly(diketoenamine), or PDK. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-renewable-infinitely-recyclable-plastics-bacteria.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 27 Jul 2023 11:00:01 EDT news609673227 More than five billion of the estimated 16 billion mobile phones possessed worldwide will likely be discarded or stashed away in 2022, experts said Thursday, calling for more recycling of the often hazardous materials they contain. https://phys.org/news/2022-10-billion-cell.html Environment Thu, 13 Oct 2022 14:08:22 EDT news584888897 Aiming to produce environmentally friendly alternatives to plastic food wrap and containers, a Rutgers scientist has developed a biodegradable, plant-based coating that can be sprayed on foods, guarding against pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms and transportation damage. https://phys.org/news/2022-06-scientists-antimicrobial-plant-based-food-plastic.html Materials Science Mon, 20 Jun 2022 11:00:08 EDT news574926088 Harmful bacteria on sewage-associated plastic waste washed up on beaches can survive long enough to pose a risk to human health, new research has found. https://phys.org/news/2022-05-bacteria-survive-beaches.html Environment Mon, 30 May 2022 12:11:28 EDT news573131485 Manufacturers add synthetic antioxidants to plastics, rubbers and other polymers to make them last longer. However, the health effects of these compounds, and how readily they migrate into the environment, are largely unknown. Now, researchers reporting in ACS' Environmental Science & Technology Letters have detected a broad range of emerging synthetic antioxidants, called hindered phenol and sulfur antioxidants, in dust from electronic waste (e-waste) recycling workshops, possibly posing risks for the workers inside. https://phys.org/news/2021-12-e-waste-recycling-emits-emerging-synthetic.html Materials Science Wed, 15 Dec 2021 08:00:02 EST news558774185 A study that monitored surface waters in the wake of 2018's Hurricane Florence finds that waters contaminated by fecal bacteria were affected by both human and swine waste. https://phys.org/news/2021-08-human-swine-pose-dual-threats.html Environment Tue, 24 Aug 2021 11:08:14 EDT news549022091 Researchers have discovered that the common bacteria E. coli can be deployed as a sustainable way to convert post-consumer plastic into vanillin, a new study reveals. https://phys.org/news/2021-06-bacteria-tasty-solution-global-plastic.html Biochemistry Thu, 10 Jun 2021 12:57:22 EDT news542548639 New research has revealed more bird populations—including penguins and pigeons—that live in close proximity to the urban environment are carrying drug resistant bacteria that can cause serious infections in humans. https://phys.org/news/2020-10-seagulls-penguins-pigeons-drug-resistant.html Ecology Tue, 20 Oct 2020 09:50:03 EDT news522404113 An international team of researchers has used a porous porphyrin to create a sorbent that can be used to reclaim precious metals from electronic waste. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes their sorbent and how well it worked when tested with discarded electronic equipment. https://phys.org/news/2020-06-porous-porphyrin-reclaim-precious-metals.html Materials Science Thu, 25 Jun 2020 09:40:25 EDT news512296821 An international team of experts have highlighted the urgent need for global cooperation to reform the e-waste recycling industry and counteract the harm it poses to both human health and environment. https://phys.org/news/2019-03-e-waste-requires-global-action.html Environment Thu, 28 Mar 2019 10:44:12 EDT news472988643 Mixed-plastic electronics waste could be a valuable source of reusable polymers, a new study led by Illinois Sustainability Technology Center scientists suggests. The team has developed the first energy-efficient and environmentally friendly process that separates mixed polymers so that they can be recycled into new, high-quality plastic products. https://phys.org/news/2018-03-eco-friendly-alternative-recycling-e-waste.html Environment Wed, 14 Mar 2018 11:10:56 EDT news440244642 The volume of discarded electronics in East and Southeast Asia jumped almost two-thirds between 2010 and 2015, and e-waste generation is growing fast in both total volume and per capita measures, new UN research shows. https://phys.org/news/2017-01-e-waste-east-southeast-asia-percent.html Environment Sun, 15 Jan 2017 06:29:19 EST news403684113 In addition to its damaging effect on the environment and its illegal smuggling into developing countries, researchers have now linked e-waste to adverse effects on human health, such as inflammation and oxidative stress – precursors to cardiovascular disease, DNA damage and possibly cancer. https://phys.org/news/2011-05-e-waste-pollution-threat-human-health.html Environment Mon, 30 May 2011 19:00:01 EDT news225988412